The State of the Union is Oh Boy, Is It an Election Year Already?

January 29, 2012

Clue #1: Michelle Obama who had, in years past, worn purple to symbolize bipartisanship (red+blue=purple) was wearing this:

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I was thinking, Mrs. Obama, since you really can't wear that again, maybe you'd like to donate it to a hard-working teacher? Perhaps? Because damn.

Not even a subtle shade of blue. Game on, said that dress.

As did the President's pointed remark about how people's desire for the rich to pay their fair share of taxes isn't because they envy the rich. See, it was Mitt Romney who suggested that if I want him to pay oh, say, even the same percentage of taxes that I do, it's because I envy him. Not because there's anything unfair about a guy who makes more per day in interest alone than I do in a year for my job paying a lower tax rate than I do. Nope, just envy.

(Here's my take on the whole tax thing, in case anyone is interested. As the income disparity widens in our country, more of us are paying less in taxes because we're making less. The wealth is increasingly concentrated among a few people who are paying historically low tax rates. So less of what money there is goes to the government. This isn't a case of steal from the rich to pay for the poor, it's a case of someone has to pay taxes or there won't be money for anything. Even if you oppose social programs, probably you want us to continue to have a military. Time was, rich people thought it was their patriotic duty to pay taxes. Now nobody seems to feel that way.)

Some things stay the same, election year or not. For the however-many-times-I've-been-doing-thisth time, the State of the Union included a line about getting rid of bad teachers. Should we get rid of bad teachers? Absolutely. Does the President have anything to do with that? Nope.

Also in the education section, President Obama suggested that all states legally require students to stay in school until they graduate or turn 18. I recorded my response for you. "Oh no no. No no no no no. No." Do I wish all kids would graduate? Of course. But it's not going to happen and some of those kids who aren't going to graduate seriously need to not be in school. And I have to disagree with the line about how sometimes teachers reach into their own pockets to buy school supplies. I know no teachers who don't buy supplies out of their own pockets. So it's the "sometimes" that I dispute.

I also had a moment of not being sure I agreed that we should fight climate change. I was thinking how it was pretty nice to have a winter full of 50 degree days. Except then I remembered how Sigourney Weaver damn near made me cry the other night over a starving polar bear and then I was back on board with fighting climate change. Also I could really stand some snow days.

Folks, how sweet was it of Congressman Jeff Flake (R-AZ) to stand up for the Democrats-only standing ovation lines in order to help Gabby Giffords stand to applaud? I met him once. While I of course disagreed with pretty much everything he was saying, I remember thinking he seemed like a nice guy. (Who looked exactly like Ken.) (Of ...and Barbie.) (But that is neither here nor there.)

In other superficial news, I thought Senator Boehner looked less orange this year. He even managed to say that introducing the President was his "high privilege and great honor" without turning any unnatural shades. Also, Vice President Biden's tie was borderline seizure-inducing.

And finally, I'm concerned that the President may have inadvertently caused me problems at home by further inflating Raj's already-enormous ego. Sure that whole "we could learn a lot of things from members of our military" bit got him bi-partisan applause, but it didn't do me any favors. He went on and on about their tremendous example. Thanks a lot, President Obama.

And God bless America brings us to the Republican response, this year by Governor Mitch Daniels of Indiana.

I watched a thing about him on 60 Minutes or something and thought he seemed like a good guy. And he started out so well. Home of the Superbowl! The Obama family is a great example of a family!

Then the campaign started. While the President said the state of the union is "getting stronger", Daniels told us that the state of the union is "grave". He said that 2012 may be our last year to restore an America of hope and greater equality. OUR LAST CHANCE! DUN DUN DUNNNN!!!

He also told us that no failure of the Obama administration is greater than its constant efforts to divide us. Seriously? Also the constant disparagement of people in business. Including, apparently, Steve Jobs who he specifically mentioned. Apparently Steve Jobs's widow didn't feel he'd been too terribly disparaged by the Obama administration, seeing as how she was there at the State of the Union.

Also, "there are smart and dumb ways to make even the affluent help." By all means, let's leave the affluent for a last resort in helping to fund our government. Governor Daniels says the smart way is to not give the very wealthy any Social Security or Medicare. Apparently raising their taxes is the dumb way.

He said that Republicans do not accept that we live in a nation of haves and have nots. YES. YES, WE DO. The fact that you don't accept that doesn't change it. You can say that we live in a nation of haves and soon-to-haves, but unless you've got a plan to end the cycle of poverty (and I'm not hearing one), then we stil live in a nation of haves and have nots and will for the foreseeable future.

Then he told us that in word and in deed, the President and his allies tell us that we just can't make it. We can't pick our own health insurance or light bulbs! A) The thing about light bulbs was signed by President George W. Bush. B) We CAN'T pick our own health insurance! I have one choice, which is the one provided by my employer. Were I not employed full-time by an employer who provides insurance, I'd have no choices because I have pre-existing conditions. Not to mention the unlikelihood that I could afford useful insurance in that situation, even if I could get it.

I found the whole speech to be just jaw-droppingly combative. I know that shouldn't surprise me, but it did.

The state of the union is partisan. I don't have a joke about that. God bless whichever side you're voting for, I guess.

With breath that is bated

January 25, 2012

See, I like to imagine that you all wait with breathless anticipation for my annual State of the Union post. And this is not it. It's been a crazy week or two of school. Grades and progress reports and subpoenas! Oh my! (The phrase "progress reports" sounds so innocous unless you're in the special ed business, in which case it brings on sudden specific urges for a bottle of whiskey and a career change.) The end of the semester is also not the ideal time to be served with a subpoena for a truly obscene amount of paperwork on a student. Paperwork from last year. My body has responded to all of this by deciding that it no longer needs sleep. At least this is what it believes at night. By the time my alarm goes off at 6:30, my body is very much interested in sleep. It would like four more hours, please. Instead I get up and go to work and then get frustrated with the children for not being able to read.

I'm tired is what I'm saying. And I want to do a good job on the post and that's not going to happen tonight. Tomorrow, friends. (Where by "tomorrow", it turns out I actually mean "sometime this weekend when I'm fully lucid".) In the meantime, please enjoy this video of a blind kitten fighting a hair dryer.

 

A recipe of my own creation

January 22, 2012

The ingredients:

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Directions: Combine all ingredients to taste. Do this directly in the frosting can if you're as low on frosting as I was. Enjoy with milk.

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Also probably some kind of pretzel/cracker/other salty thing chaser, because eegads, the sugar. 

But Lori, you ask, this doesn't seem compatible with your healthy eating thing, does it?

You know, it's questions like this that cause people not to like you. No, I kid! It's a valid point! We haven't completely nixed dessert around here for fear that going sugar free would only cause us to binge later. Or eat more of everything else now in a futile effort to staunch the craving. Also, I ran four miles of hills today, so I had 400ish calories to spare. And we are having a responsible dinner. And sometimes a person needs some chocolate, as I trust most of you are aware.

Plus now that pesky chocolate frosting is gone and can no longer taunt me with its deliciousness. Yep, good thing I took care of that.

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My name is Lori. I write. I teach. I enjoy intelligent conversation, professional football, big government and the public library.

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